On Fire With Fergie

by Stuart Donald

Late on a winter’s night in 1976 at the age of 5, I lay awake in bed, absolutely petrified. Something was causing a man to shout, swear, and bang in the lounge beneath my room. When I eventually went downstairs, I found my elated Dad sitting in front of the last couple of minutes of football highlights on TV. He'd watched his team, Aberdeen, reach the Scottish League Cup Final with a dramatic 5-1 victory over Rangers. It was the very first of the events that would forge and shape an amazing relationship with my Dad as we followed Aberdeen home and away, for the next ten years. It was a time when the terrifying, enormous fan base of the Old Firm rioted and rampaged through streets, stadiums, and pitches around Scotland. A time when we watched Aberdeen rise to the top of Scottish and European football, and then fall all the way back down again.

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2010

Reviews

[Murray Skinner]

The story of Alex Ferguson and the early 80s Aberdeen team is a brilliant one; I just don’t think Stuart Donald is the person to be telling it. Maybe he was too young, or more likely too detached from the real story, living in the central belt. His attitude at several points in the book is frustrating and it ended up being a slog to finish the book

[U02awf2]

It's slightly tricky writing a book in chronological order when the exciting part is at the beginning and the middle and it tails off at the end but, alas, so it was with Aberdeen F.C.'s fortunes in the 1980s.

However, I suppose there was synchronicity with the teenage Stuart losing some of his interest as he grows older.

I enjoyed the book generally although there was a accuracy-checking errors missed during the editorial process but nothing too major.

Obviously, the author will have used some creative licence to fill-in memory gaps but there's no mention in the book of him keeping a diary that assisted him to write this book.

I do wonder about some of his recollections. For instance, his Dad getting frustrated with Brian Moore during the Real Madrid match; however, I would've thought that, living in Perth, they would've received Jock Brown's commentary on STV? Perhaps, I'm incorrect, but it did make me question many of the recollections...

[Ross Sutherland]

I give this 4 stars for the memories it brings back of the happiest time ever to be an Aberdeen supporter. Not that you'd know it from Donald's writing, he seems intent on being miserable throughout and often skirts round the great games to concentrate on those lost and the demise, rather than the rise of the club. Still an enjoyable read though, bit like Fever Pitch for Aberdeen fans.

[Sashankh Kale]

An enjoyable read even for a non-football fan. The writing was interesting and gave a good account in the psych of football loyalists.